A survey of marijuana and tobacco co-users investigators found that co-users with a high degree of interrelatedness between their use of the two substances had greater tobacco dependence and smoked more cigarettes per day. However, the finding of a strong link between the two substances was not universal. These findings suggest that highly personalized treatments are needed for co-users who want to quit smoking.

Flexible tool use is closely associated with higher mental processes such as the ability to plan actions. Now a group of cognitive biologists and comparative psychologists found out that the apes carefully weighed their options. To do so the apes considered the details such as differences in quality between the two food rewards and the functionality of the available tools in order to obtain a high-quality food reward.

In one generation, the climate experienced in many North American cities is projected to change to that of locations hundreds of miles away -- or to a new climate unlike any found in North America today. A new study and interactive web application aim to help the public understand how climate change will impact the lives of people who live in urban areas of the United States and Canada. These new climate analyses match the expected future climate in each city with the current climate of another location, providing a relatable picture of what is likely in store.

Researchers showed that we can acquire the vocabulary of a new language during distinct phases of slow-wave sleep and that the sleep-learned vocabulary could be retrieved unconsciously the following waking. Memory formation appeared to be mediated by the same brain structures that also mediate wake vocabulary learning.

Neuroscientists have discovered a focal pathway in the brain that when electrically stimulated causes immediate laughter, followed by a sense of calm and happiness, even during awake brain surgery. The effects of stimulation were observed in an epilepsy patient undergoing diagnostic monitoring for seizure diagnosis. These effects were then harnessed to help her complete a separate awake brain surgery two days later and then confirmed in two other patients.

A new study shows that some endangered owls may continue to persist and even flourish after large forest fires. The Great Gray Owl is an endangered species in California. This research suggests forest resilience treatments are not needed to protect Great Gray Owls, and conservation efforts might be better directed to other needs of the species.

The 'Mona Lisa Effect' refers to the impression that the eyes of the person portrayed in an image seem to follow the viewer as they move in front of the picture. Researchers now demonstrate that this effect does not occur with Leonardo da Vinci's world-famous painting 'Mona Lisa'.

While we may believe what we remember about a long past event as accurate, oftentimes it is the opposite. Drawing from such background, we tend to misstep while judging tasks or during the course of action. Read more at http://bit.ly/MB19_DfE

Genes influenced a large part of how we became, us. But, the story isn’t complete without learning about how tiny variations in a single gene can bring about massive differences between species, over a period of a few million years. Read more at https://bit.ly/2vyMhcH

Neocortex provides mammals, especially primates with high cognitive abilities. Chimps have a lot in common with us. And mice continue to have a strong bond even after 75 million years. Read more at https://bit.ly/2HGY6lR

When you read that a star is 11,000 AU closer than another, yet more than 4 light years away, it is challenging to fathom such large distances. Martin Beech, the author of Alpha Centauri explains it in a very interesting manner. Read more at https://bit.ly/2JKtmym

Solutions developed to help Astronauts on inter-planetary missions can also be used to treat major health problems on earth. That’s not all, the future looks promising, with all the innovations that are going to change our world for the good. Read more at https://bit.ly/2HuFoLN

Scientists have been busy developing treatments that can work with the natural cycle in a human body. And the communication protocol has a lot of similarity with a popular spectator practice in sports games. Read more at https://bit.ly/2JAU903

Synthetic Biology may have answers to better Cancer treatments. And the key lies in reducing unintended effects of Chemotherapy. The human brain is such a complex structure, yet at the basic level, the cells interact with discernible logicRead more at https://bit.ly/2v3B0AX